


A Brother's Love

by SoneaKyraliana



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, One Piece
Genre: Future Slash, I'll be adding pairing and character tags as they appear in the fic, M/M, eventual slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 10:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28469409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoneaKyraliana/pseuds/SoneaKyraliana
Summary: It was widely spread through the New World that Gold Roger had a son. Then why had Portgas D. Ace been hiding his identity all his life?
Comments: 16
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all: Happy New Year!  
> I know, I know, starting a new story is the last thing I should be doing, but the first chapter to this one has been sitting on a notebook gathering dust for so long that I couldn’t stand it anymore. So here it is. No promises of regular updates or anything, of course. And will be slash in the future.  
> I’m a big big big fan of One Piece, currently watching each new episode that comes out. I don’t read the manga, but that’s mostly because I’m still trying to find an affordable way of reading it. So there may be spoilers depending on what arc of the story you’re still at.  
> I thought this chapter would be a perfect way to celebrate the New Year, Portgas D. Ace’s birthday (because I just love Ace and this was too good a coincidence to pass up) and the 1000th chapter release that will be coming out in a few days.  
> I’m tired and in need of some sleep, so I’ll leave you to this. I’ll re-read it tomorrow in case I typed something wrong or something like that, but right now I just want to sleep.  
> Let me know if you like it, please! Bye!

Chapter 1

A small black-haired child rushed through the crowd of pressing bodies gathering in the square, taking advantage of his small stature to slip by unnoticed. He finally found some breathing room in a decently calm corner near the open mouth of a back-alley that he knew led into the labyrinth of streets that composed the market.

As a pair of marines armed with rifles passed by his side, the young boy ducked his head and fisted his hands on the wet fabric of his ragged coat.

He looked up as the sky protested with a clash of thunder and knew he did not have long, but he just had to come.

As silence slowly fell over the people, the young boy looked up to the platform in the middle of the square.

There he was, flanked by armed marines, his hands bound in front of him, black hair in disarray, infamous moustache and a blood red cloak thrown over his shoulders. Even kneeling and about to be executed, he still looked regal, as if he were a king doing the world a great service.

One of the officials listed off the crimes for which he had been sentenced, but the young boy didn’t pay him any attention as a pair of black eyes found his own and held them.

It was only for a brief moment, but it was enough for him to read the anxiousness his presence had caused before his eyes were shadowed by his hair.

And then a wide smile, full of as many teeth as pride and mischief, a smile that anyone who knew the man had learnt meant trouble, lit what was visible of his face. A smile that was achingly familiar to the little boy standing alone in a corner.

The King’s smile didn’t disappear even as two swords were driven into his body and blood seeped from the wounds, staining the white fabric of his shirt.

The skies opened up then, as if they themselves were crying.

As most people celebrated the death of the Pirate King and the start of a new era, sparked by the words that promised the greatest treasure at the journey’s end, the small boy slipped away unnoticed, weeping for the loss of his father.

HPOPHPOPHPOPHPOP

Portgas D. Rouge stood on the deck of the ship that would take them further into the Blues, watching as her husband’s hometown turned resting placed grew smaller with each mile they travelled.

When Loguetown was no more than a speck in the horizon , she slowly but steadily made her way to the cabin they had been allotted, careful not to let her cloak slip. Her hand unconsciously went to her stomach, feeling a slight roundness, and a sad smile came to her lips. She was now five months along, even though it did not show.

But the smile disappeared as she entered the cabin to find a young child on the floor, his back against a corner of the room and his clothes and hair wet from the rain. He looked up at her entrance and her chocolate-brown eyes clashed with a set of teary emeralds set in a round pale face.

Leaving her wet cloak on a chair and, disregarding any discomfort she might feel later on, she slipped down to the floor next to him, her hand coming up to surround his small shoulders and bring him into her embrace.

She felt his small body tremble against her and knew instinctively that it wasn’t from how cold he was, his clothes still soaking wet.

“Little dragon…”

And that was it. The use of the nickname his father had referred to him with since before he remembered had the child breaking down into loud uncontrollable sobs.

She didn’t need to ask what had happened, for she knew where her son had gone before the ship’s hasty departure. She knew he had been to the execution.

Rouge hadn’t. She hadn’t had the strength to face the reality of what would happen and she hadn’t had the heart either to hold onto her tears when the bells announced the end of her lover’s execution, refusing to let herself break down until they had got to safety. She would have time to cry, then, but now she needed to remain as strong as possible. If not for herself, for her children.

Still, with her little boy held securely on her arms and her unborn child in her belly, she could not help the silent tears that escaped her eyes now, easily hidden as they mixed with the rainwater that clung to her little boy’s black hair.

Hair that he had inherited from his father along with his surname and a penchant for trouble. His features were too delicate to come from Roger, his chin more similar to Rouge’s own than her lover’s. The same could be said for his lean body, but that could be attributed to his age and change in the future. The slant of his eyes could remind you of Roger’s, yet where the Pirate King had had eyes as black as coal, his son had eyes bright as the spring leaves, a reminder of a mother that he had never known.

But that was fine, because he had her. Rouge was his mother, the only one he needed, and she would look after him.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Almost a year later, that same black-haired boy slipped unnoticed amongst the people at Baterilla. Nobody paid him any mind, used to the sight of the little child weighed down by bags of groceries for his mother.

Some had been curious in the beginning, but it had passed soon. As long as they didn’t cause trouble, they wouldn’t say anything.

Finally, the child reached his destination: a small house on the outskirts of the town, near the beach. It was a modest building, only one store with two bedrooms, a kitchen and a small sitting room. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs, bought with part of the treasure his father had left for them.

Opening the door, he carried the bags to the kitchen and set everything in its place before wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“Mum? I’m back.” He called walking into the sitting room.

She was gracefully sat on a chair next to the window, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap covering the bump of her still pregnant belly. The sun coming from outside made her strawberry-blond hair seem silver and her warm chocolate eyes shine.

He came to an abrupt halt when he noticed the man in the room. Very much tall, with black hair starting to go grey on the temples and an uncharacteristically grim face, the sight of him was a familiar one for anyone who ever travelled on the Oro Jackson.

The fresh hibiscus flower he had brought for Rouge fell from his numb fingers and, in a second, the little boy stood between her and the marine.

“What are you doing here? I won’t let you hurt them!”

“Little dragon…”

“Calm down, brat.” The man said, the grim expression on his face clearing and his right hand coming up to rub the back of his head. “I’m not here to hurt any of you.”

After a moment where he seemed to be weighing the sincerity of his words, the boy relaxed his stance. Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder, understanding that his emotions were a terrible mix.

“How did you find us?”

“Your father told me where to find you.” Answered Garp as he took a seat next to the door.

“Why?” he asked, still distrustful.

“He’s here to help us.” Explained Rouge, carding a hand through his hair in relaxing motions and making him lean against her legs.

“Help us?” muttered the child.

“Your father” Started the Vice-Admiral. “believed that a child should not be held accountable for its father’s sins. And so do I.” the man sighed and run a hand through his hair. “It is for that shared belief that he told me where to find you, so that I could help you hide from the World Government. What I didn’t expect was to find this.”

The boy looked confused as the marine gestured at his mother and turned to look at her. Rouge had lifted her chin, her face showing defiance.

“It’s the safest route.” Stated the beautiful woman. “I’ll hold them for as long as I can.”

‘Oh, she’s talking of my sibling.’ The little boy thought.

“There will be consequences, you know that-”

At a warning look from the stubborn woman, the old man trailed off with a sigh.

“Fine; have it your way.” He said looking disapproving.

“Mum?”

“It’s fine, little dragon. We just disagree on what’s necessary to keep you safe. Now, would you like some tea whilst we talk, Mr Garp? I think we’ve got some biscuits too.”

“I’ll go get them, mum.” Muttered the child, not wanting her to bother getting up for something like that. Before leaving the room, the child stopped next to the marine, disregarding that he didn’t even come up to his knees where he was sat in a wooden chair that looked ready to fall apart under his weight, and levelled a look at him that was too serious for one so young. “Don’t try anything funny.”

Garp arched an eyebrow, but a smile took over his face as soon as the child left.

“Children these days…” he chuckled.

“He’s been through a lot.” Defended Rouge casting a fond look at the wall behind which her boy was busy getting the tea. “But he’s still only a child. He’s scared that we will be found.”

Garp’s face turned grim at that.

“He’s right to be scared. For now the Government hasn’t cast its eyes to the other Blues, but they are looking for him. Every day, someone calls thinking they’ve got the son of the Pirate king, but it’s only been street rats and orphans till now. How long will it be until someone does find him?”

Rouge clenched her hands into fists, her lips pressed together and her head down as if it could hide them from his words.

“Nobody knows of you and your child; that might keep you both safe for now. But Roger never hid his son’s identity. Everyone knows that he had a son. And if he is discovered, you will be dragged into it. You can’t protect him…”

Rouge suddenly looked up at him and Garp’s eyes widened. Her eyes were on fire, her fisted hands trembling with fury and there was an oppressive presence around her that seemed to suck off all the air in the room.

“Don’t you dare imply ever again that Kairyuu is not my son.” She said and Garp actually gulped. “I might not have given birth to him, but he is my son as much as the babe inside me. Do you understand?”

Garp nodded, actually a little intimidated. Haki. Untrained haki, but still. He should have known Roger would fall for nothing but a formidable woman. And that she was. Portgas D. Rouge was formidable, in more ways than one.

“Mum?”

Her little boy was back, standing at the door and looking between them, suspicious.

“The tea will be ready soon.” He said when she simply smiled at him, knowing she wouldn’t explain it anytime soon.

Her smile fell as soon as he was out of sight and she levelled a hard look at the marine. The man didn’t comment, but she got a feeling that he was strangely pleased at her words. And exasperated.

“There’s not much I can do for now, then.” He sighed. “Are you ready to leave this place when the time comes, though? You can’t stay here forever.”

Rouge nodded. She knew that.

“My children are all I have left. To keep them safe, I’ll leave. But not yet.”

“Then I’ll look for a safe place for you. It might take a while befre I can come back, though. Roger sure did it this time: every rookie pirate is launching himself to the sea in search for his One Piece; it’s been a headache dealing with it.”

As Kairyuu came back with the tea and biscuits, to which Garp was fast to help himself, Rouge couldn’t smother a small smile. Of course Roger was causing trouble even in death. It was so like him…

With that, the conversation turned to lighter topics. She wouldn’t have thought it possible, taking into account just who Garp was, but he wasn’t like she had been expecting. It was obvious Roger hadn’t been exaggerating about his character the few times he spoke of him and it was also easy to see that her Kayryuu knew him well and even trusted him, to a certain degree.

Garp was standing at the door, ready to leave after saying his goodbyes to the pregnant lady, when he felt a tug at his trousers. Looking down, his eyes were trapped in an emerald gaze.

“I was wondering… have you heard of Rayleigh?” the child asked in a quiet voice, nervously playing with the hem of his shirt.

“Rayleigh? He hasn’t been caught if that’s what you’re asking.” The child nodded, his eyes on the floor, and Garp crouched down in front of him. “He is your godfather, isn’t he?”

“Hai.”

Garp sighed.

“He knows how to avoid getting caught; you shouldn’t worry about him.”

“I miss him.”

“If they find a connexion between you, they’ll soon know who you are. It’s better this way. But… I’ll keep an ear out.”

“Arigato, Garp-jiji.”

“Brat.”

HPOPHPOPHPOP

The long awaited moment of his sibling’s birth arrived during the first hours of January 1st. a new life to announce a new beginning. His mother had tried to put it off for as long as possible by pure willpower, but finally after two years pregnant she hadn’t been able to stall it any longer.

Kairyuu stood next to her bed, his eyes big as he watched Rouge hold his baby brother tight to her chest. There was a sweet smile on her lips, one that Kairyuu had always thought made her the most beautiful being in the world, one that she always wore when she would tuck him in bed at night before her pregnancy became too hard on her body or when he came back from the town with a fresh hibiscus flower for her to wear, taking up the habit from his father after his premature death.

Garp was there too, his great bulk sitting at the end of the bed with a tired face, but the child paid him no mind, too busy looking at his small family.

“What’s his name?” asked the little boy, raising on his tip toes to try and see the newborn better.

“Gol D. Ace. That’s the name he liked most.”

“Ace.” Repeated the child almost as if tasting the name. “Ace. I like it.”

“Come up here, little dragon.” The child scrambled up onto the bed eagerly and she chuckled weakly. “You’re a big brother now.”

“Hai. I’ll be the best big brother ever.” He announced as he carefully reached a hand out and run a finger down his brother’s soft cheek. “He’s so small…”

“He is, but he’ll grow. Like you.” She said, shifting. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Me? Can I?”

“Of course you can. Here, I’ll show you how to do it.” As she helped him hold the baby for the first time, Rouge ruffled his hair, her smile turning slightly sad as she watched her little boys. “You’ll take care of him, won’t you, Kairyuu? Keep him safe?”

“Aha.” Muttered the young child.

“I love you. Both of you, my precious boys. You won’t forget, right, little dragon?”

There was something strange in his mum’s voice. She sounded a bit out of breath, as if she had been running. Kairyuu looked up from his distracted perusal of his new little brother. Rouge was pale and her eyes looked sad, but she was smiling at them.

“Mum?”

“It’s fine, little dragon, I’m just tired. Look at your brother. Isn’t he beautiful?”

Kairyuu looked down at his baby brother and, at first, he couldn’t see what she meant. Ace was small, his skin pink and full of wrinkles. But then he watched a small hand fist on the light blue fabric he was wrapped on and his head burrow further on his chest, little silky tufts of black hair coming out of it and the beginnings of freckles on his cheeks.

A smile lit up the now seven year old child’s face and he gently run a hand over the back of that small fist, which was soon wrapped around his finger.

“Hai, mum; he is.”

When there was no answer, Kairyuu looked up. Rouge was still smiling, but her eyes were closed, her hands splayed over her lap and her chest still.

“Mum?”

This time, there was no answer.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Kairyuu sat on the floor of the cabin, his back to the wall, hands around his legs and his head laid over his knees. His eyes were on the basket next to him where his baby brother could be found currently asleep.

They were in Garp’s cabin, a week after the marine had managed to smuggle them onto his ship. And hadn’t that been nerve-wrecking.

As much as he later thought his father would have found it funny, at the time he had been so nervous that they would get caught… when one of the marines on lookout had halted them, he had thought it was the end. Luckily, Garp was so big that his cloak easily hid them from the man’s sight. A passing comment on him coming from pilfering some cookies from the kitchen and they didn’t get a second look.

Garp had tried to brush off the incident, but it had only served to drive home just how precarious their situation really was. Their parents were both dead and the Government was looking for him. No matter what Garp did to hide them, sooner or later someone would find them.

Kairyuu clenched his hands on the fabric of his pants, helplessness flooding him.

Dad had turned himself in to give them a chance to vanish into the wider world and mum had died because she had spent herself holding onto her pregnancy for almost two years. His parents had died to give Ace a chance to live, to protect him, and yet Kairyuu couldn’t do anything to help.

The Government knew that Kairyuu was Roger’s son and they wouldn’t stop looking for him. And if they found him, it wouldn’t be hard to guess Ace’s parentage.

His mere presence put Ace in danger.

The only way for his brother to be truly safe would be if the Government stopped looking for him.

And the only way for that to happen…

The door opened and Kairyuu jumped up, startled. Before he had time to realise what was going on, he had placed himself between his brother and the door.

“Sorry.” Muttered Garp, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Kairyuu frowned, but didn’t say anything. Relaxing, he walked to the basket holding his brother and cradled him, humming softly a lullaby that Rouge had used to sing to him.

It was clear by the tears clinging to the baby’s lashes that he had been about to start crying, but as soon as he heard Kairyuu’s voice, he stopped.

His little brother was a quiet baby. Or as they had found, he was a quiet baby as long as his older brother was close, as they had discovered when Garp had taken him one morning and he had started to cry.

It had started with a little fussing, which soon turned into whimpers and sniffles before evolving into full out ear-splitting crying. Garp had been frantic until Kairyuu had stepped in. In his older brother’s arms and with a short lullaby, the little demon ―in the marine’s words― had gone back to being a little angel.

Even with Garp having ordered the cabins nearest to his be vacated by the marines under his command ―and there was a whole other story behind how he had achieved that― it had been a miracle that nobody heard.

“I’ve brought food.” Announced Garp once it was clear they had avoided Ace crying.

“Garp, where are you taking us?”

“There’s a small island in East Blue-”

“East Blue!? Garp-!”

“Calm down, brat, and let me explain. The Govrnment’s finished scouring the East Blue looking for you. They think you might have managed to get onto a ship unnoticed and escaped so they’ve turned their eyes to the rest of the world. Right now, East Blue is the safest place for you. By the time they finish looking elsewhere, they will have directed most of their efforts to other matters.”

Kairyuu pressed his lips together, but didn’t protest again. What he was saying made sense. There was only one thing he didn’t agree on: even if they got distracted by other matter, like the strong resurgence of piracy, the Government would still have an eye out for him until they captured him.

“The island happens to be my hometown, so even if they send someone to check, it’ll be me.”

Kairyuu nodded, thoughtful. He would have to wait and see. That wouldn’t stop him from plotting in the meantime, though.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Foosha was, to put it kindly, boring.

And for someone who had travelled with the Roger Pirates and was used to finding thrilling adventures in the most unexpected places to say so… well, maybe it wasn’t all that fair.

Still, the village was quiet, mostly unknown and out of the way, which made it an ideal place to hide.

They had docked at midday, but they still hadn’t been able to leave the ship, having to wait until the cover of night for. Kairyuu had sat himself next to a small window and watched, safe in the knowledge that the marines had taken leave under Garp’s orders.

Once it was dark outside, the Vide-Admiral had taken them both off the ship and brought them to a friend of his. Her name was Dadan.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Garp-jiji?”

The old man sighed where he was reclined on a chair looking at the clear blue sky. Little Ace was wrapped up in a warm blanket to protect him from the slight chill in the air.

“Yes?”

“Do you really think we’ll be safe here?”

“Why are you asking that now?”

Kairyuu sighed as he cleaned a bit of drool from the corner of his gurgling brother’s mouth.

“The World Government won’t stop looking for me, but they don’t know anything about Ace. That means that he’ll be safer if there’s no way for them to connect him with me.”

Garp frowned, slightly worried as to where this conversation was going, but he couldn’t deny he was right when he himself was still trying to come up with a solution for that problem.

“What do you want me to do, brat? I have no control over that.”

“If the Government gets what they want, they’ll have no more reason to keep looking, right? My brother will be safe here then, because even if they find him they’ll have no reason to suspect who he is.”

“If they get what they- brat, don’t be stupid!”

“I’m not! If I turn myself in-”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Maybe.” Replied the child, for the first time not paying attention to the baby starting to fuss. “But if I do it, Ace will be safe…”

“There’s no guarantee of that-”

“There is if you’re the one to turn me in.”

Garp’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, the man now standing with his shape dwarfing the already small child.

Suddenly, the man reached out and Kairyuu got a taste of his infamous ‘Fist of Love’.

“Do you even know what you’re asking me!? I’ve had enough of this pointless conversation-”

“No! You listen here!” shouted Kairyuu rubbing the top of his head.

For a second, both were shocked into silence, too stunned to speak. The silence was broken by the baby’s wailing.

Kairyuu’s eyes had held a mix of fury and surprise, but as they turned to Ace they only showed love and guilt. The child was so easy to read…

For that, Garp stayed silent as the child rocked and shushed him, but his eyes never left the form of that too mature child.

The baby quietened under his brother’s attentions, but stayed fussy. Mayhap he was reading their mood or it could be something else; they’d never know.

“The World Government will never stop looking for me. But if you turn me in- no, wait! Please, listen! If you turn me in, not only will they stop looking: they’ll never suspect you of hiding the son of the Pirate King!”

“Who will help you, then? Do you even know what you’re offering to do?” croaked out the Vice-Admiral. “What you’re asking me to do?”

“Ace is all I have.” Said Kairyuu softly with his eyes on the baby. “Mum and Dad both sacrificed themselves so that he had a chance to grow up safe… If I can do anything to help, I must!”

“They sacrificed themselves so you would _both_ live.” Exclaimed the marine, mindful of his tone around the already unsettled baby.

“But that’s not possible.” Muttered Kairyuu. “My presence puts my brother in danger, but this… this would keep him safe.”

“The things they’ll do to you…”

But instead of discouraging him as the old man had hoped, the threat had the opposite effect because it meant he was actually getting through to him.

“Dad always said freedom is precious. So is family. I would never give up my freedom for my own life, but for the life of someone I love? I’ll do it without a sliver of doubt.”

Kairyuu’s face was set in a familiar expression, one that spoke of pride without arrogance and a fierce stubbornness. The same expression that he had seen on Rouge’s face a multitude of times.

His hands trembled with rage and helplessness and the man had to clench his eyes tightly shut and lower his head, because he knew right then that Kairyuu would not give up until he got what he wanted. And he wanted this… this craziness!

His thoughts were confirmed only a second later, when the child added:

“I’ll still turn myself in even if you don’t help me, but it’d be best if you did. They’d never distrust you, then.”

Garp sagged then, the chair groaning under his weight when he let himself fall on it. It was as if all strength had been sucked out of him and he suddenly felt his years more keenly than ever.

“You’re a brat, you know? A manipulative self-sacrificing brat, just like your parents.” He whispered.

“Does that mean you’ll do it?”

There was such sincere hope in his voice when he asked that, that Garp knew he would never be able to forget it. Hope for a hopeless future… no. hope for his brother’s future.

“It’s not just your freedom you’ll be giving up, it’s your life!” he protested, but it was feeble at this point.

“I know.” Was the simple answer. “But I don’t mind giving it up for my little brother.”

Garp covered his already shut eyes with a hand.

“Will you help me?” repeated the child.

And Garp nodded.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Tell me you’re not really going to do it.”

Garp didn’t turn from where he was standing next to the window. From his position, he had a clear view of the brothers in the front yard. Kairyuu was once more singing to Ace whilst the baby just soaked up all the attention with a few waves of his hands and a happy gurgle.

Since their talk two days before, the six year old hadn’t let go of the baby for a moment. Garp knew he was trying to engrave the memory of his brother into his very soul.

He shook his head to dispel the thought, because he knew it was pointless. If Kairyuu kept to his plan, and he knew he would, the child didn’t have long to remember. He wondered for a moment if Ace would remember something of his brother, but it was doubtful. From experience he knew children rarely if ever remembered anything previous to being three years old. And Ace was only a few months old now.

It was an even more painful idea: that Ace would remember nothing of the brother who loved him enough to sacrifice everything for him.

“Garp!”

“Eh? What is it now, Dadan?”

The woman scowled furiously at him.

“The boy, Garp. Tell me you’re not really going to turn him in.”

So she had heard them speaking. Why wait till now, then…?

“You know we can’t make him change his mind.” He whispered to himself more than her.

“Garp, he’s only seven.”

“I know.”

“He’s not his father.”

“I know.”

“If you turn him in-”

“I know!”

They stood there, looking at each other, not another word spoken.

“Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you can live with.” Were her last words.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Kairyuu cooed at his brother, who he swore had just smiled at him. He had been telling him a story when the baby had let out a happy gurgle and his lips had curved upward in a gummy smile. Dadan would tell him it was only a reflex, but he refused to listen to her on that.

He sighed as the child waved his hands in the air as if trying to grab something only he could see.

His eyes never strayed from his form, though. He wanted to engrave in his memory all these moments he had left, so that he could tell everything about Ace to his parents when he…

Kairyuu swallowed.

“Mum and dad loved you very much. And so do I. I love you more than the sky and the sun and the stars. More than the wind and the rivers and the mountains. I love you… I love you more than the sea. You’ll understand that when you’re older, won’t you? I bet you’ll love the sea just as much, like our parents did.” He told him softly. “And someday, when you’re older, you’ll sail the seas and be whatever you want to be. There’s no limit, you know? Dad proved that to the whole world.”

He ran a finger gently over Ace’s forehead, parting the hair there, and between his eyes, which were just beginning to darken from the typical baby blue and making him wonder after who he would take, and over his small nose. There he stopped to trace the freckles that he got from their mum, a stark contrast to his still light skin. Come summer he might be as tanned as their father, but Kairyuu would never know it.

“Live free for both of us, little brother. That’s all I ask of you, Ace; live with no regrets.”

And even as tears fell from his green eyes and his body trembled with the sobs, Kairyuu smiled at his brother.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Well, looks like it’s time.”

Kairyuu looked up at Garp’s voice. The old man stood at the door next to Dadan, who was glaring daggers at him.

“Hai.” Said the child quietly.

As the small seven year old looked down at his baby brother, the adults looked away. It was probably their way of giving him a semblance of privacy as he said goodbye, but he had already said everything he needed to

The seven year old then took out a small bag from between his meagre belongings and turned it over to Dadan.

“What’s this?”

“Our father left money for us when he... passed. That’s the last of it. It should pay for anything my brother might need.”

Dadan scowled at him, looking almost offended.

“I know you’ll take care of him,” said Kairyuu before she could protest. “but it’s also his inheritance. If you don’t want to spend it on him, keep it till he’s old enough to use it himself. Who knows? Maybe he’ll use it to buy a ship and…” he trailed off for only a second. “…sail the seas.”

He had a feeling that both adults understood what he had implied, that Ace might someday want to be a pirate. Therefore, he was surprised when his head didn’t meet Garp’s fist.

They didn’t comment either on something else that was heavily implied: that Kairyuu himself wouldn’t be needing it.

Handing over the money was so much easier than handing Ace over…

Finally, Kairyuu pressed a kiss to his nose and another to his forehead and let Dadan take him. Without another word and trying not to listen to his brother’s whimpers, the little boy hurried out of the door with Garp hastily following.

Ace’s wails were the last thing he heard as they left.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Why do I have to hide?” asked Kairyuu, his little forehead creased in a frown.

“It would be a bit suspicious if I came here and suddenly left with you.” Explained the old man. “We don’t want anyone to come sniffing around here, do we?”

The little boy nodded, accepting the answer without a fuss. He didn’t want to leave a trail that could potentially lead someone to Ace. That would defeat the purpose of this venture.

Garp sighed and absently messed up his hair.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Why do I still need to hide?” asked the child a few weeks later.

The question had come out of the blue and Garp choked on his tea.

“I-It is safer… this way…” he explained rather weakly in the child’s opinion.

“No, it’s not.” Replied Kairyuu. “We’ve docked at many places since Foosha. Nobody would know where exactly you picked me up from.”

“I’d rather not risk it.” Answered Garp tightly.

The child sighed and it was then the Vice-Admiral noticed how tired he looked.

“Where are you really taking me, Garp-jiji?”

The man’s grip on the teacup tightened to the point that it snapped, the remaining liquid staining his fingers.

He should have expected the question, really. No matter how young, Kairyuu had already proved himself to be intelligent.

Intelligent and kind and overall too good for the cards he had been dealt in life, if you asked him. Garp had lost count of how many times he had cursed the boy’s father in his mind. It was Roger’s actions that now condemned him in the eyes of the world.

If only he could somehow find Rayleigh…

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Garp’s plan came to an end before it could truly be set into motion when, on a clear morning weeks after having crossed into the Grand Line, the door of his cabin was unexpectedly thrown open.

“I gave clear orders not to-”

Whatever furious reproaches had been about to leave his mouth died as soon as he realised just who was standing at his door.

‘Of all the people it could’ve been, why did it have to be him?’ lamented the Hero of the Marines.

Indeed their luck couldn’t have been worse, for he realised a second later where Akainu’s eyes were fixed. On Kairyuu.

“What is the meaning of this?”

That snapped Garp out of his mental ranting and he made an effort to regain his composure.

“What do you think?” retorted the man. “I found the brat and I’m escorting him to Headquarters.”

“Why have you not informed yet, then? And what is the prisoner doing out of his cell?”

“There’s too big a risk of this information being intercepted. I thought it best not to risk it.” Replied Garp slowly taking a seat at his desk, effectively hiding his trembling hands.

“And he is not in a cell, why?” asked his fellow Vice-Admiral.

Garp looked at Kairyuu from the corner of his eye. The child was completely still, his body tense and his eyes wide. He was scared, very scared, the man noticed. And rightly so, for Akainu’s rising reputation was anything but pretty. He was merciless in his defence of Absolute Justice and hated pirates.

This was the worst thing that could have happened to them.

“I can better keep an eye on him here. Headquarters would have a fit if he somehow got away when we finally got a hold of him.”

“Yes, I imagine the consequences would be quiet… disastrous for you, if that were to happen.” Said Akainu, his eyes narrowed but his voice mocking as he added: “It’s a sad day for the Marines when a Vice-Admiral is needed to keep a child in check; in my ship, I’d whip them if they were to lose a prisoner, no less when it is only a child, but I guess discipline cannot be expected of everyone.”

Garp wished he could punch the little upstart till he got some moral sense.

“I’ll pass a message onto Sengoku for you. There’s men wasting their time looking for the little rat.”

“Wait, what did you come here for?”

“Oh, a Buster Call has been issued. I was curious when I saw you were near but hadn’t answered to Headquarters.”

Garp’s eyes widened. A Buster Call? He had been ignoring all contact from Headquarters since he got to the Grand Line, but to think a Buster Call had been called… Why did it have to be when he was in the area?

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Headquarters will be anxious for the prisoner to arrive.” Said Akainu as goodbye.

Garp knew Akainu had not believed him. It was clear as daylight. As he left, his every word dared him to take one wrong step.

Looking at Kairyuu’s scared face, he saw they both understood what had happened. The choice had been taken from him. There was only one path forward now if they wanted to keep Ace safe and it led them straight to Marineford.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“We’ll reach Marineford in the morning.” Whispered Garp taking a seat on the floor next to the seven year old.

Kairyuu nodded to show he had heard him, but didn’t look away from the piece of paper in his hands. It was a photograph depicting a small family of three.

The man was smiling widely at the camera, looking as if he was barely refraining from breaking into a raucous laughter. His dark unruly hair framed his head and his dark eyes stared at the camera with an unnerving intensity, but there was something strangely… warm in them. His chin rested on a white-covered shoulder and one of his hands rested around the woman’s waist, the other on a child’s shoulder.

The woman had an arm wrapped over the man’s and around her waist, her hand resting over her slightly swollen belly. She had long strawberry-blond hair, a red hibiscus flower tucked over her left ear. The freckles on her cheeks were a stark contrast to her pale skin and the radiant smile stretching her lips only added to her beauty. Her other hand rested on the child’s other shoulder.

The child… it was quiet obviously a younger version of the child now sitting next to him, holding the photograph.

Garp would never admit it outloud, but his heart clenched at the sight of the obviously happy family. Familiar faces of people he had respected if not outright liked and would never see again.

“When dad turned himself in,” spoke Kairyuu in a low voice. “mum and I had to get rid of most of his things so we wouldn’t be related to him if we were found. There wasn’t a lot; dad wasn’t like that. We had to burn the photos, but… I couldn’t burn this one. I told myself that Ace might want to see what he was like, when he was older, so I kept it hidden.”

Garp listened without interrupting. The boy deserved much more for what he was about to do, but at the moment all he could do was listen and remember so that he would keep his memory alive.

“Dad felt better that day, so they took me to a small beach near home. Mum helped me build a sandcastle and then dad took me swimming. We ate there and that’s when they told me I was going to have a brother. It had always been dad and me and Rayleigh and our nakamas, but now I had a mum and a sibling on the way, so I was very excited. We took the photo after that: our first family photograph.”

There was a hint of wistfulness in the child’s voice as he recalled the happy memory.

“A month after that, dad was gone. And, now, so is mum…”

Garp heard the unvoiced thought that he, too, would be gone soon; he closed his eyes.

“I can’t keep it with me, but I don’t want to destroy it either.” Continued the child. “Could you keep it for me?”

The marine opened his eyes again at the small question to find the carefully folded photo thrust in front of him.

“You can do whatever you want with it, even burn it, just don’t tell me, please. I’d rather remember it like this.”

Gingerly, almost as if he was expecting an attack, Garp reached out and took it. They didn’t mention it again.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Kairyuu was obviously scared, even as he tried to put up a brave face. The marine couldn’t begrudge him.

They arrived at Marineford at midday, Garp having delayed it as much as possible without it being obvious. When an order to remain on the ship came, he wasn’t sure whether to feel relief or worry.

It was only when night came that they were allowed to step on land, only for Sengoku and two of his trusted officers to personally receive them.

“We’ll take custody of him, sir.” Said one of the men stepping up and grabbing Kairyuu’s upper arm.

Garp didn’t let go of his shoulder, though, keeping the little boy in place next to him. He was looking at his colleague, Sengoku, and ignoring his officers for now.

“Do we really have to do this?” he asked, a plea hidden in his words.

“The boy is a disaster waiting to happen, Garp.” Replied Sengoku, his stance unwavering. “You’ve done the right thing by handing him over; you need not be involved in the rest.”

Garp gritted his teeth, his hand clenching on that small shoulder, feeling the child’s shaking.

“And yet he is only a child.” He insisted furiously. “He’s seven, for Heaven’s sake!”

“You know as well as I it does not matter.”

“Well, it should!”

Sengoku rubbed his eyes under his glasses and sighed.

“There’s no point to arguing between ourselves. I have orders and I will see them carried out. Hand him over.”

For a wild moment, Garp toyed with the idea of refusing, but what would that achieve? He wasn’t confident he would be able to get them both out of there alive and, even if he did, they would be hunted. He would be in no position to protect Ace and, wasn’t that the whole point of this mad plan?

He could only play his part now so he would be in the perfect position in the future to make sure this sacrifice was not in vain.

Silently, he released the child’s shoulder.

Immediately, the officer yanked the boy forward and he let out a strangled yelp.

“Careful with him.” Hissed the Vice-Admiral, eyes narrowing at the man.

The officer looked at Sengoku, who nodded despite his eyes having never left his colleague, and his grip gentled.

“You’ll never talk of this to anyone, Garp; this hasn’t happened.” Ordered Sengoku in a firm if low voice.

As the three men turned to leave with their captive, the Hero of the Marines stopped his fellow one last time.

“What will happen to him, Sengoku?”

“That is for the Elders to say.” Answered the Admiral without turning.

“Please, he is only a child. He does not deserve to die. Try to reason with them.”

“You know as well as I that sometimes death is a mercy. A fast death would be a far kinder fate than any other that may be reserved for him. But that is not for us to decide. Stop torturing yourself, Garp; this is for the best.”

The Admiral resumed walking and the officers hurried after him, dragging an unresisting child with them. If said child had looked back over his shoulder just once, he would have seen the old man fall to his knees and punch the floor, alone in the wharf.

But he did not turn, and that was the last Garp saw of Kairyuu.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Since the day of Roger’s execution, he had developed a new habit as a part of his daily routine. In between lovingly kissing Shakky’s cheek and getting his coffee ready, he would ask if there were any interesting news and she would proceed to tell him about all the little inconsequential things they were writing about.

Rayleigh would pretend to be interested as her eyes glinted knowingly at him, but she wouldn’t call him out on not paying her words proper attention.

It had all started the day after Roger’s execution.

Rayleigh would always remember the day itself as a day of tears and laughter and alcohol, all mixed up together. Truly, he wasn’t sure where he’d be now if Shakky hadn’t been there for him, but he thought it might be better not to dwell too much on it.

The day afterwards, though, news spread of the Government’s manhunt for Roger’s son.

Rayleigh had wanted to board the first ship that would take him through Loguetown, despite Shakky’s advice to wait, so he did just that.

He ended up almost dying as the ship he had been on sunk during a storm. He had survived purely through luck. He’d been in the cold dark water, unable to tell up from down as the sea raged.

‘I can’t die like this. Not now! Kairyuu! I must find Kairyuu!’

He’d fought to reach the surface, but it was becoming harder and harder to remain conscious. When he’d almost given up all hope, sure of the inevitability of his death, a young fishman called Hatchan rescued him.

By the time he was recovered enough and ready to leave again, Shakky had managed to talk some sense into him.

As much as he wanted to rush to the other end of the world and search for his godson, he had no leads as to his whereabouts. He couldn’t be in Loguetown; the marines exhaustive search of the area had yielded nothing on him and he could be anywhere by then. His only hope was to wait for a clue of where the child was, or with whom, and hope the World Government didn’t find him first.

Shaky had put her information gathering net to good use since then, but there hadn’t been a whisper so far. Not a true one, at least.

‘Why the hell didn’t you contact me, Roger?’ he wondered sometimes, angry, in the privacy of his mind. ‘You knew I’d have kept an eye on him; he’s my godson! Why didn’t you? You must’ve anticipated this… Did you trust someone else with his wellbeing? But, who!?’

Who had he trusted so much and why hadn’t he at least warned him?

It was a question that kept him awake at night, with his wife asleep next to him and guilt clouding his mind. Guilt because he should have made an effort to keep in touch with his godson, not waited with his head buried in the sand for Roger to make his move for the damn last time.

Maybe he should have kept the little boy until everything died down, but deep down he knew his friend would never have allowed it. Roger adored his son, would’ve chained the sun and moon to the earth if he had but hinted he wanted them. That’s why it was so hard to believe he hadn’t prevented this, that he would’ve so readily walked to his death without making sure Kairyuu was looked after.

In hindsight, he should’ve done so many things… but he hadn’t known what Roger had planned.

And that’s how his little habit started. He asked his wife for news, unable to voice the real question ―any word of Kairyuu? ―, and Shakky would tell him the little uninteresting news she had picked up, a silent answer ―no news that really interest you.

There’d be a moment, a beat between his question and her answer, where he’d be inundated by a mix of hope and dread and then another more drawn out, after her answer, where relief and helplessness would war to prevail. No news meant the Government hadn’t found him. For Rayleigh, no news meant mostly good news.

Until one day, nearly two years after Roger’s execution, when there were actually news worth mentioning.

The day had started out normal enough. He had woken up, showered and dressed, stopping for a second at the sight of a package in one of his drawers. His godson’s birthday had come and gone ―the little boy now eight years old― and he had bought it on impulse before hastening to stash it there amongst a few of his trinkets, perhaps to chase away the questions that suddenly assaulted him. Would he ever get a chance to deliver it to the child? Did Kairyuu even have someone to acknowledge him turning a year older?

After pressing the heel of his hands to his eyes for a second, focus returning, Rayleigh finished getting ready and went down to the bar’s main area.

His wife was sat with her elbows on the counter and a newscoo in front of her, as usual. The pirate leant down to kiss her cheek and turned to get a cup from a shelf with the familiarity of years doing so.

“Any interesting news?”

And there it was, that agonising moment before her answer when he would be torn between hope and fear, dragging on and on and… too long.

She hadn’t said anything, but he left the still empty cup on the counter, his hands trembling.

“Shakky?”

He didn’t miss how she jerked at the sound of her name, her hands gripping the edge of the counter so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her face was grim, unusually so, but her voice came out weak in the silent room.

“There had been a Buster Call.” She explained and he held his breath. “At Ohara.”

Ohara. The archaeologists. The ones trying to unearth the story behind the Void Century. The forbidden knowledge.

His eyes closed in grief because they had been good people and hadn’t deserved that fate, but also in shame at the traitorous feeling of relief.

‘No news means good news.’

The relief didn’t last long, only until he opened his eyes and saw that Shakky’s face hadn’t changed.

“There is more.” Croaked out the man.

Shaky pressed her lips into a fine line before averting her eyes to the newscoo. Finally, she slid it towards him and pointed to a small article ―so small it was only a paragraph― in one of the sections. Easy to miss if you weren’t specifically looking for something, which most people wouldn’t be doing with the Ohara incident being front-page news.

It was going to be bad, if she would make him read the words himself rather than tell him. His eyes scanned the short message, his breath hitching at their meaning.

“They’ve cancelled the search for him.” Confirmed Shakky in a low voice, her hand coming up to cover his where it had gripped the paper so tightly it wrinkled. “That can only mean…”

“…they’ve found him.”

Shakky wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest in a bid for comfort ―if his or hers, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t even realise he was crying until he had his face pressed to her hair.

That was another day for tears in his life, but this time the only laughter he remembered was in his memories of an innocent child whose life had been cut too short for the crime of being born.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

News of the incident at Ohara spread like fire across the world and soon, everyone was so focused on it that nobody but a few people could claim to have noticed the marines suddenly losing all interest in hunting down the Pirate King’s child.

Crocus, Keeper of the lighthouse at Twin Capes, was one such person who understood its implications.

Across the Red Line, somewhere in East Blue, a mostly unknown pirate by the name of Buggy proceeded to get roaring drunk under his newly recruited First Mate’s gaze.

Unknown to him, a rising pirate known for his startling red hair was no more than two islands away, his pain and rage at the world’s unfairness manifesting in the way he threw himself into a fight with a certain criminal by the name of Teach. A fight that would leave him with more consequences that three son to be famous scars.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Meanwhile, Prisoner 686 was thrown into a small dark cell in the lowest level of the most secure prison in the world, a level barely known to exist bar to a few people. The prisoner’s identity and crime would remain a mystery for a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to let you all know that I’m posting this chapter without proofreading it, so sorry for any mistakes there are and I’ll try to read it in the morning and correct them, but right now I just want to deliver to you all this new chapter and go to sleep. And since English is not my mother tongue, it's bound to have mistakes.
> 
> A very special thanks to those of you who bothered to write a review. You don’t know how happy I get whenever I get one, especially when the content’s great (and with that I don’t mean that it was someone saying they liked it or so, constructive criticism is highly appreciated and welcome).
> 
> One last thing, as I've written in my Ffn.net profile, which no one ever bothers to read, I've got a dilemma regarding this story. I already warned that this story will contain slash. Problem is I can't actually decide on who to pair Harry/Kairyuu with. For now, I'm torn between it being Shanks, Benn (I love Beckman, what can I say, though the age gap would be a bit more problematic with him) and Marco. Currently, I'm leaning towards the latter, but that could change in the future: the story decides, not me. Anyway, feel free to offer suggestions, though the final decision is always going to be mine. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Chapter 2

Impel Down was widely known to the world as the most secure and terrifying prison in the world. It was an impregnable fortress in the middle of the sea that no one ever knowingly approached. Also known as the Underwater Prison or the Great Prison, Impel Down’s five levels featured in the nightmares of any Grand Line pirate.

Unknown to everyone save a select few, a sixth level existed within the prison. Most would think it was actually the most mundane of all, since the prisoners there were rarely tortured in contrast to the other five level’s occupants. However, most would be wrong, for Level 6 held the most dangerous of all criminals.

Known as the Eternal Hell, it held the prisoners that fit into at least one of three categories: they were extremely powerful, they had committed the most atrocious of crimes or their existence itself is a threat to the World Government.

These criminals were usually killed or held there until they died, being basically ‘erased’ from history.

Prisoner 731 was one such prisoner: extremely powerful and having committed heinous crimes against humanity itself.

It was also the reason why Sengoku himself was putting a foot in the infamous prison for the first time in well over five years. He’d wanted, no, needed to make sure that he was locked down with no mishaps.

The Admiral, soon to be ascended to Fleet Admiral, hated setting foot on that place, but it couldn’t be helped. Luckily, everything went without a hitch and he was soon free to leave.

He hadn’t abandoned Level 6 when something caught his attention.

A tiny shape huddled in on itself against a corner of its cell. Not much of them was visible in the shadowed prison except a shaggy mane and a shackled foot.

Shiliew noticed his attention and smirked in amusement, cigar clenched between his teeth.

“Ah, Prisoner 686. A tiny thing, eh?”

Sengoku stopped and stared a moment before taking a few steps towards the dark damp cell. Prisoner 686. He remembered that one better than he’d like.

The kid lifted his head, bright green eyes peering up at him from a pale dirty face. Yes, he definitely remembered him.

“I see you’re still alive.”

“Don’t let his age fool you.” Snorted Shiliew. “This piece of trash is tough. I’ve seen feared criminals waste away in less time than he’s lasted. All without a fucking word.”

The Admiral thought he detected a note of disgruntlement on the Chief Jailer’s voice at the last part and he threw the man a sharp look. He didn’t say anything, but made a note to speak to his superior.

The child just stared, but it was clear he’d recognised the Admiral from the look in his eyes. Those eyes were what he remembered most vividly, but watching them now, five years later and still with that same light… his memory made them no justice.

He looked older, thirteen now if he remembered correctly ―still a child, truly―, more gaunt and sickly pale. Left there, in the place widely considered as hell on earth, to waste away in a cold damp cell in the depths of the sea, forgotten.

He still thought death would’ve been more merciful, but those green eyes seemed set on denying it.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

The boy shrugged.

Sengoku pursed his lips and looked at Shiliew out of the corner of his eye. Withdrawing a packet from his pocket, he saw the man frown. He would definitely speak with his superior.

“Here.”

The marine offered the packet of cookies, courtesy of Garp’s last visit. But the child, despite his obvious hunger, didn’t move and even pushed further into the wall, away from him.

He refused to show any outward reaction at the obvious withdrawal, or the small flinch of pain that accompanied it. Inwardly, though, he could feel the bitter sting of guilt and pity.

He knew this child posed one of the biggest dangers to the world and he understood that he couldn’t have been left free. That didn’t change his belief that he would’ve been better off dead than trapped in this hell.

It was a damn pity.

“They’re cookies.” He insisted, his face still blank. “You must be hungry.”

Slowly, the child crawled a bit closer until he could catch the packet and retreated back into his corner much faster. The sound of plastic ripping reached his ears as he watched the boy get a taste of the cookies.

Sengoku straightened, ignoring his frowning companion, and gestured for him to lead the way, but just as he’d taken a step to do so, a small whisper stopped him.

The voice was rough, scratchy, whether from being unused for a long time or from being too used to screaming, he wasn’t sure. He looked back to the boy still huddling in a corner, barely making out anything apart from the dark mane of hair, the torn prisoner garb and a small smile that stuck out on that sickly pale face.

“Thanks.”

Sengoku nodded slightly and resumed his walking, more eager than ever to leave that Prison.

But even as he rode the lift to the top and spoke to Magellan and boarded his own ship and left the cursed place behind… Even as he finally returned to the outside world, his mind was still trapped in that other hellish world where no one should be able to smile and on the child that had.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

He didn’t know why he did it ―and if he did, the reason would never be spoken out loud― but Sengoku did speak with Shiliew’s superior. Or well, not superior per se, but co-warden?

Magellan had been Chief Warden of the prison for a few years already and Sengoku had treated with him on more than one occasion.

Once inside Magellan’s office, he went straight to the point, explaining that whilst the Government was happy with the way the prison was run, he felt there was a need to make a few changes in regards to one of the prisoners.

He didn’t ask for anything too outlandish, of course, just a change to another cell ―the current one was almost completely damp from water filtering through the wall―, more regularity on meals and a better fit on clothes ―nothing to outlandish, just a uniform that would mostly fit him.

Magellan had been particularly offended at the idea of someone on Level 6 being entitled to such things ―despite them not being too much of an upgrade of their conditions― until the prisoner in question was mentioned.

“Prisoner 686? He’s an exemplar prisoner, never gives any trouble, at least to my knowledge. It’s a pity, someone so young… but he is after all a criminal.”

“That he is.” And Sengoku didn’t know why the words left such a bad taste in his mouth.

“I guess it wouldn’t be too much, and it’s the Government asking so… I’ll inform the Chief Jailer.”

“Good. Thank you, that will be all for today.” Said Sengoku, standing up from the chair and making to leave the office.

“Sengoku-sama.” Stopped him Magellan, voice unusually curious. “I wasn’t in charge yet when Prisoner 686 was brought in. A lot of speculation went on thereafter about his identity, but it was left out even from his file. If I may ask, with how dangerous he is listed as and being so young… what was his crime?”

Sengoku stared at Magellan for a while. What was his crime? It was a question he’d asked himself five years ago and even now had only the one answer:

“Existing. His crime was existing.”

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Since that first time, Sengoku visited Impel Down at least twice a year. He told himself he was only doing as his new job as Fleet Admiral demanded and making routine visits to check their main prison, but he would always stop by the same prisoner when all was said and done.

The truth was that he didn’t know why he kept coming.

But slowly, his visits went from bringing a young prisoner a packet of cookies and receiving a quiet thanks to having brief and awkward conversations about their respective ‘lives’.

All of it culminated on a memorable conversation four years after his first visit.

The boy was leaning against the right stone wall of his cell, hands drawn up to his chest and thin arms surrounding them. His head was thrown back against the wall, the dark dirty mane dragging over his shoulders, cut in uneven chunks. His skin was sickly pale, a result of the lack of sunlight for near on a decade. But his green eyes were as alive as always and his lips tilted up into a very small smile at the sight of him standing on the other side of the bars.

Sengoku stayed silent. As the silence dragged on and on, the marine making no move to speak or to leave, the boy’s smile disappeared slowly.

“What happened?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Sengoku’s eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists on either side of his body. He took a deep breath.

The curiosity in those green eyes had now been replaced by wariness, but he didn’t much care for that at the moment.

“Why?” he bit out.

The weariness in that green gaze only increased, but the boy seemed confused too.

“Why what?” he whispered unsurely.

“What is it that pushes people to piracy? Even good people? What is the allure of being a lawless criminal? What pushes a good man, a good man with everything within reach, to turn his back on the law? Why would he betray the government? Why would he betray me?”

At the end of his rant, Sengoku pressed the pads of his fingers to his closed eyes, stabbing off the angry and frustrated tears that dwelt there.

With a huff, he gritted his teeth and turned.

He shouldn’t have come. He was behaving completely irrationally!

But a familiar scratchy voice stopped him before he could even take a step.

“I don’t who you’re talking about, or the circumstances of whatever happened.” Said the young man. “But I’ve known my fair share of pirates, or criminals. Sometimes there is no satisfying answer to why they are like that. But good men don’t become bad out of nowhere. Sometimes… sometimes good men see that the law is not infallible, that the world is not always black and white, that there are things that aren’t fair. And good men, real good men, cannot stay put and let injustice go on in front of their faces, even if it means they will be labelled a criminal. That doesn’t mean they aren’t good either.”

With that, the youth fell silent, wordlessly bringing a hand up to his throat and coughing as if to clear it. He didn’t remember him ever saying so many words to him.

Sengoku thought about it. He thought about his son and his sense of justice, not always like his, but no less noble for that. He thought of his determination to stop his brother’s cruelty. He thought of his body buried under the snow, like a discarded toy riddled with holes. The image was burned into his mind, the pain fresh with only a few weeks having passed.

Sengoku thought of him and how good a man he’d been. And how his betrayal, whatever the reason that brought it, didn’t erase that fact.

A weight fell off his shoulders, one he hadn’t been aware of carrying.

With a sigh, he threw his cloak off to the side and flopped down onto the cold stone floor.

“I have- I had a son. His name was Rosinante…”

And Sengoku told the boy of Donquixote Rosinante; he talked about the kind-hearted child he’d taken in, the happy if clumsy young teen he’d grown into and the strong man he’d turned out to be.

His companion listened attentively, humming sometimes, asking a question here or there when he got lost in memories, but never speaking more than a couple words with his scratchy throat.

After that day, he still wondered why Rosinante had betrayed them in Minion Island, he still wished to find out the truth one day, but there was a small niggling of hope at the back of his head. Hope that his son had done it for a reason he could, if not support, at least respect.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

When Shanks walked through the door of Shakky’s bar more than a decade after Roger’s execution, Rayleigh couldn’t honestly say he hadn’t been expecting it. The young redhead had been making a name for himself since his old days as a simple cabin boy, so it wasn’t at all unexpected when their paths crossed again.

Meeting the Red-Hair Pirates had been interesting. Shanks had gathered a good crew and the old man told him so. He also didn’t miss that all of them were older than Shanks by a few years.

Hearing about how Shanks had lost his arm and given away his straw-hat to a child was even more interesting.

“It was real shocking, Rayleigh-san! There was a kid in East Blue who said the same things Captain Roger did. The same words as our captain.” He had said.

Rayleigh hoped he’d have a chance to meet this kid someday and see with his own eyes what Shanks spoke of.

On the last night of their stay at Sabaody, Shanks and Rayleigh were sat together in a corner, watching the merry crew party and drink, when the red-head took a small metallic box out of a pocket in his cloak and settled it in front of the ex-pirate.

“You mentioned you lost your photographs in a shipwright. There’s not many there and they’re probably not the same as yours, but… I was hoping you’d keep them safe for me.”

Rayleigh cleared his throat as he reached out with a shaky hand and opened the box. Slowly, he went through the small stack of photographs. Shanks had been right, they were not the same, they held different memories than his had, but the people in them was the same and that was enough for him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take them with you?”

“We’re going to the New World and nothing’s certain there. I’d hate to see them get ruined.” Answered the pirate with a shake of his head.

Rayleigh’s eyes stilled on a particular photo, his fingers tracing the small figure of a small black-haired child whose features he had once known better than his own name. They had begun to go hazy in his mind, time trying to steal them from his memories, he realised with a start.

And even more startling was realising that the little boy would’ve been eighteen by then; a little boy no more, but a man grown. They’d never get a chance to learn what kind of man he would’ve been, though, and he shook his head to dispel those thoughts before they could take root in his mind and torment him.

“I see. I’ll keep them safe until you come back for them, then.”

“Thanks.” Muttered Shanks before visibly hesitating, which didn’t happen all that often, his hand coming up as if to grab the hem of his straw-hat before remembering it wasn’t there anymore. “I tried to find him.” He confessed quietly. “After the captain’s death. But I couldn’t and then I heard…”

“So did I, kid.” Sighed Rayleigh, feeling suddenly as old as he was.

“I’ll never forget.” Said Shanks, the heat in his voice fierce. “And I’ll never forgive what they did. They’ll pay for it someday.” He swore, hand closed in a fist. For a second, Rayleigh worried that the then twenty-seven years-old pirate planned something utterly stupid, but his worries vanished when the redhead relaxed and reached for his cup of sake. “Now’s not the right time, though, and it won’t necessarily be by my hand. I have another role to play.”

Rayleigh didn’t ask what it was, because he knew that was something even Shanks himself had yet to discover. He focused on enjoying the last few hours he would spend with Shanks in what was sure to be a long while.

When Shanks made it back to his cabin in the Red Force, in the early hours of the morning, he looked at his small desk. Giving into the temptation, he dug out a small piece of paper from the depths of its drawers, wrinkled and faded from all the years he’d worn it on the inside of his old straw-hat. Even after deciding to leave them in Rayleigh’s keeping, this had been the only photograph he had refused to part with.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

He was staring at it again. At the poster kept hidden on one of his desk’s drawer, the one that was now out of circulation.

It had been a year since Donquixote Doflamingo had been awarded the status of Shichibukai, much to his inner displeasure.

But the Gorosei had spoken and there was nothing he ―even as Fleet Admiral― could do about it. Quite a few of his contemporaries felt the same, but their hands were bound.

He did have to wonder, though, what it was that Doflamingo had to give him the power to sway the Five Elders. He was the one with the most freedom out of all the Sichibukai, as far as he knew.

He was startled ―and closing the small drawer with more strength than necessary, suddenly feeling guilty at his distraction― by the door being thrown open and one of his subordinates rushing inside, panting and clearly frazzled as the man saluted shortly and hurried to place a message on top of his desk.

“What is it now?” he asked, annoyed.

He’d been looking forward to finishing with all the paperwork and taking a stroll with his pet goat, maybe even tracking down that idiot Garp who was sure to have some rice crackers. But looking at his subordinate, he had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“It’s an urgent message from Impel Down, sir. From Chief Warden Magellan.”

Sengoku frowned, a bad feeling beginning to grow in his mind even as he nodded and dismissed the younger marine.

Once alone, he opened the missive and started to read. With each word, his face turned more and more serious and his frown grew.

The message didn’t explain everything and he knew why. Magellan would never risk Impel Down’s reputation being tarnished, but neither could he just hide what had happened. Despite the fact that the prison was the worst nightmare of most criminals, it still needed to remain within certain limits in the eyes of the general public.

And the Chief Jailor having gotten drunk off his power and abusing his authority, leading to a massacre of not innocent but defenceless prisoners wouldn’t be well received by the public.

Nor would the government see it acceptable that the prison hadn’t been capable of keeping their own staff under control.

Jaw clenched, he read the letter one more time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything and called for another of his subordinates, giving orders to have his ship and crew ready to set sail by nightfall.

Then he turned his attention back to the paperwork on top of his desk, prioritising what needed to be done before he left and what could wait a few days until his return. The poster in his drawer was totally forgotten.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

In the end, it took a few more weeks before Sengoku was able to visit the prison again. He’d had to deal with the worrying reports of a Kingdom being wiped out in a civil war before they had even had time to intervene.

Kuraigana Island, home of the now extinct Shikkearu Kingdom, was now just another uninhabited island. Except for the fact that, upon arriving to check what the conflict had been about, the marines in charge of the mission had been attacked. By sword wielding mandrills.

‘Humandrills’ they had been dubbed.

And here he was now, finally back in Impel Down after having dealt with the mess ―not that there had been anything they could truly do once they confirmed the whole Kingdom had really perished and the current inhabitants of the island were totally aggressive and apparently on a skill level far above most of their swordsmen.

Standing in front of the cell, his eyes swept all over the laid out and seemingly asleep form of the twenty-one year old prisoner.

He had a new uniform on ―the older one probably torn beyond repair if what Magellan told him was true― and his arms and chest were covered in bandages. His hair was clean, but still messy as hell, and his skin was as pale as ever, making the bruises visible on his cheek and his neck stand out even more. His breathing was slow and light, not laboured.

The wave of relief he felt still caught Sengoku by surprise, the small knot of worry he’d been carrying around in his belly since the Chief Warden’s message easing a bit.

Consternated, he run a hand over his face and sighed.

‘What am I doing? Why am I behaving like this? Why do I keep coming back?’

When he opened his eyes again it was to be met with an intense green gaze and a small smile.

‘Maybe because I still don’t understand how he can smile in this place…’

“Hey.” Coughed the younger man, wincing slightly as he sat up on his cot. “Back again?”

“Are you sure you should be moving?” he asked, ignoring the rhetorical question. “Chief Magellan says Shiliew did a number on you.”

The prisoner waved his worry away, the smile still in place although tinged with a bit of bitterness.

“Could’ve been worse. I’m alive, so I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Sengoku couldn’t hold in a derisive snort at that. ‘Lucky’. That was debatable.

The smile became more genuine at his reaction.

“Not that I’m actually complaining, but… to what do I owe your visit? Surely not to S-Shiliew’s rampage?”

Sengoku hummed, taking in the small strain visible on the young man’s face as he turned on his cot so he was facing him from his seat and the almost unnoticeable stutter at the ex-Chief Jailor’s name.

“Shiliew is part of the reason, yes. His actions couldn’t go unanswered. But worry not, although he is kept in this level, his cell is far from yours. He should not bother you from there.”

Even though the dark-haired boy said nothing, the grateful nod and slow untightening of his fists on the edge of his cot gave away his relief.

“So the rest of the reason?”

Sengoku frowned, confused.

“For you to come all the way here.” Explained the young man, his eyes lit up with amusement.

Sengoku’s frown just deepened. He wasn’t going to tell him he’d been worried. No way was he going down that road. And he couldn’t give him a satisfactory answer when he didn’t have one himself.

He rummaged through his coat and brought something out, throwing it towards the boy.

“Just eat some cookies.” He grumbled.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

When Ivankov was captured by the bloody marines, he wasn’t overly worried. Okay, maybe he’d been in the beginning. But that changed soon as he escaped the ―frankly disgusting― cell they’d thought would be enough to keep him in.

Slowly, more and more people disappeared ―first on Level 5, then extending to other levels― and stories of ghost surged as he freed those who’d been captured with him and a few other interesting ones too.

Slowly and steadily they built their own heaven inside the prison: the Okama Paradise.

Ivankov also knew that it wasn’t yet time to escape the place. Her partner Dragon had yet to make a move after their capture and if she knew him well enough ―which she thought she did, despite the man’s overly silent nature― he wouldn’t be making a move to free them any time soon.

It wasn’t the right time. Breaking into ―or out of― Impel Down, a feat that was thought impossible to accomplish needed a bigger reason than simply freeing a few revolutionaries, no matter how high up the were in the organization.

So she took the time in her new in-prison Queendom to gather more people, have fun and throw raucous parties.

And in between that, she stole from the marines, listened and prepared a plan to get out in case it was needed when Dragon made his move.

Until he heard something very interesting about a prisoner in Level 6 that the government was utterly terrified of. Someone so dangerous that not even the wardens of Impel Down knew their name or their crimes.

That information was exactly the kind that a revolutionary was always happy to come across and Ivankov set himself a mission: to learn more about whoever this Prisoner 686 was and see if he could be of any help to the Revolution.

Unfortunately, getting to Level 6 wasn’t going to be so easy, even for him.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

A Yonko.

That red-haired brat was now recognized by the world as a Yonko, one of the Four Emperors reigning over the New World.

Roger must be laughing it up on the other side, watching the greatness he’d predicted when he brought that scruffy brat aboard the Oro Jackson the first time.

Rayleigh stared at the paper in front of him and exchanged a smile with his wife. Hers was mischievous and mirthful, his was a bit smug and just as amused.

But there was a small part of him that stared at the photograph of the young hard-eyed redhead and wondered, remembering a similar instance so long ago when the bounty had held a different name and title.

Not many were left who remembered the man behind that one pirate, even less who remembered the little boy he had fathered.

And he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be the same for Shanks, for that young man who was so easy to laugh and getting drunk, who held his friends close to his chest and never hesitated to raise his sword in their defence. Would people someday forget about him, about _Shanks_ , and everything he achieved? Would his title as a Yonko shadow him in legend until that was all that was left?

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Ace looked up at the wooden ceiling with a slight smile, his hands folded behind his head and his silly little brother sleeping soundly next to him. The following day he would be leaving Foosha and setting out to sea, so he needed the rest. And yet… he couldn’t sleep.

He was excited to be leaving as his brothers and he had promised, but he was a bit worried about leaving Luffy alone. He’d promised Sabo to take care of him and he’d held onto that promise, but now that the time had come to leave he couldn’t help wondering how his cry-baby of a brother would deal with his absence.

‘I can’t always be holding his hand.’ He told himself with a firm shake of his head. ‘Luffy will have to find his own path and stop depending on me.’

The creaking of the door as it opened a bit made him tense before recognising Dadan. Throwing a look at Luffy to make sure he hadn’t woken, Ace stood up and followed the woman, closing the bedroom’s door behind himself.

“What are you doing still up, you little brat?”

“Shut up, old hag.”

They both glared at each other for a few seconds before a small but heavy old bag was thrown at him. Thanks to years honing his reflexes, he caught it easily.

“What’s this?” he asked peering inside the bag, his eyes bugging out at the sight of the contents. “Dadan, this-!”

“Is rightfully yours. You can do whatever you want with it, brat, but I won’t take it back. Someone long ago entrusted it to me; they seemed to think you might want to buy a ship with it or something like that. Do whatever you want with it.”

Ace stayed stunned for all of three seconds, but snapped back into himself before Dadan could fully leave the room.

“Wait, Dadan! Who’s this money from?”

The bandit stopped and turned to look at him, but Ace had a feeling that she wasn’t really seeing him.

Indeed, Dadan was thinking of another boy whom she had met seventeen years before. A selfless child much too wise for his age and with the ambition to see his brother safe.

She found it curious how Ace had grown so set on becoming a pirate as that little boy had predicted he might and wondered if there really was something true to that ‘call of the sea’, but he guessed she wouldn’t understand. She was a mountain bandit, not a pirate.

Dadan did not agree with Garp on not telling Ace about his older brother, not after what the boy had done to keep him safe, but that was one choice she did not believe herself with the right to make. Or perhaps she just wanted to avoid the mess that revelation would leave behind.

Either way, she wouldn’t be the one to break that silence and Ace. Besides, he would be setting out to sea in a few hours, so there was no doubt he’d hear something.

“Dadan.” Called Ace, impatient. “Who gave you this?”

The woman pressed her lips into a fine line and Ace frowned, thinking he wouldn’t get an answer.

“That money is from someone… someone who loved you more than life.”

Ace didn’t get any more out of her, no matter how he asked.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Garp would be the first to admit he’d never been what people would call a conventional grandfather. His position in the marina had kept him away from home for long stretches of time and he’d spent what little time he had training his grandsons to be marines. Not that they had ever wanted to be so.

Piracy called to those two ruffians like… well, he didn’t even know what to compare it with.

He blamed Akagami for Luffy’s desire.

Ace, though… he didn’t know who to blame for that one. He’d like to say Roger, but he’d never believed those things could be passed through blood alone. Neither had Roger, for that matter.

Still, Garp had never considered giving up. To him, that was not an option.

Whichever the cost, even if it meant being hated by them, Luffy and Ace must become marines. And not just any marines: the best.

It wasn’t a matter of family honour either, as some thought. No, it was a matter of survival.

Ace and Luffy carried the blood of the two criminals who’d given the biggest trouble to the government. Someday that would be discovered and the uniform was the only thing that may save their lives at that point.

He had promised to keep them safe; to keep them alive.

But it was so damn hard to do when they seemed so set on throwing their lives away for a bit of rebellion.

When he read in the Newscoo about the Spade Pirates and specifically their captain, Portgas D. Ace, the Hero of the Marina wracked his office. He knew then that it was a matter of time before the truth was discovered.

There was no _if_ anymore, now there was only the question of _when_.

He wondered for a second whether it would’ve made a difference if he’d told Ace about Kairyuu, about the sacrifice that had kept him alive, a sacrifice that he couldn’t stand the thought of having been in vain, but dismissed the thought. He’d intended to tell him, in the beginning, but had balked off in the last moment. He’d known that it would beg the question of what had happened to him.

How could he tell Ace that he’d been the one to turn Kairyuu in? He might as well have killed the boy himself after all. Could he have lied about it? Maybe. Somehow, that had felt like an even worse crime than hiding his existence already was.

As he stared at Ace’s smirking face in the newly issued bounty poster, Garp knew he’d failed him as much as Kairyuu’s memory.

The two pieces of paper hidden in his breast pocket had never felt heavier.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

One day, Sengoku brought a Newscoo on his visit to Impel Down.

Usually, prisoners weren’t allowed any contact with the outside world, being denied even the news of what went on outside. But he’d already broken that rule a few times, despite how careful he’d been with the information he revealed.

Now, though, he couldn’t afford to be subtle. He needed answers, needed a confirmation or a blatant denial.

Standing to his full height in front of the cell, he drew a deep breath and pinned the young man inside with intense black eyes.

“I’m going to ask you a question and you’re going to answer me truthfully, understood?”

He ignored the small confused frown directed at him from the cell’s occupant, waiting only a second until he got a small nod before continuing.

“Did Gold Roger have a second son?”

Green eyes widened in response, the man tensing in surprise. Sengoku noticed all this as he kept a careful watch on all his reactions.

“Why would you ask that?” asked warily the prisoner.

“Answer the question.”

“I am the only son my mother bore him.” answered the man, a hint of defiance in his voice that the marine had never heard before.

Sengoku narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn’t feel like he was being lied to, yet… his suspicions remained. Slowly, he unfolded the Newscoo and revealed the image taking up the front-page whilst explaining.

“A rookie set out to sea a year ago. He formed a crew in no time at all and is advancing through the seas at an unprecedented rate. I have reason to suspect he is related to your line. Are you denying this?”

The green-eyed twenty-six year old man perused the image of the grinning teen on the paper with lips slightly pursed and an arched eyebrow.

“I am. My mother and dad never had another child.” He said firmly. “And how old is that rookie anyway? He looks young.”

Sengoku pursed his lips slightly and focused on folding up the paper.

Yes, Portgas D. Ace was young. Too young, by all logic, to be Roger’s. He was barely eighteen now and the Pirate King had been executed twenty years ago. The times didn’t match up, after all.

His theory would be put aside for now, but not completely forgotten. Maybe the rookie’s luck would run out like so many others’ had before him and he would turn out to have been worrying over nothing. Or maybe something else would rise up as proof of his suspicions.

There was something niggling at him from the back of his mind, his instincts restless, and the feeling that he hadn’t been lied to but not told the whole truth wouldn’t go away.

“You’re right.” He nodded slowly, visibly dropping the matter. “He’s actually too young; he was born roughly two years after Roger’s execution.”

His eyes softened at the small flinch and tightening of the jaw displayed by the young man. He usually tried not to mention that time, not needing any more awkwardness in their conversations.

“So what’s their name?” asked the young man, obviously trying to distract himself from the painful topic and fixing his eyes on the opposite wall.

“The rookie’s?” he asked more to himself than anyone else, his mind already thinking about a safer topic or an excuse to leave. “Portgas D. Ace.”

He grimaced as he remembered that he had a meeting upon his return and that he had to wrangle Garp there before he tried to make a run for it. Suddenly, he wasn’t so eager to leave.

“I’ve brought cookies.” He announced.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Well, damn, I’m surprised. I always thought the rumours referred to Kairyuu. I had no idea. Though to be honest, you don’t take after old Roger much.”

“He was your enemy. Don’t you want to kick me out?” demanded to know Ace.

“By the look on your face I thought it would be something important. I can’t think of anything more trivial.” Ace’s head snapped up at hearing those dismissive words. “I don’t care where the hell you come from: we’re all children of the sea.”

A mix of emotions invaded the young pirate, who looked away and breathed deeply. His mind latched onto a small detail, trying to distract himself before he showed everything he was feeling at Shirohige’s words.

“What rumours?”

Shirohige looked pensive as he took a swig of his sake.

“After Roger’s death, the World Government hunted down everyone who’d had contact with him. They started a manhunt for his son, but the Blues took it as rumours. Kairyuu’s existence wasn’t all that known outside the Grand Line, so I always assumed that’s what caused the rumours. I never thought they meant there was a second child.”

“Wait- what? Second child? What the hell are you talking about?” exclaimed Ace jumping up from where he’d been sat at the end of the bed.

Shirohige frowned at him, his mouth pursing under his moustache. He seemed almost as confused as the younger man.

“You say Garp raised you?” Ace nodded a confirmation and Shirohige’s frown deepened. “How can you not know, then?”

“Will you just tell me what you meant by that?” pressed Ace.

Shirohige gestured for him to take a seat again before setting the gourd of sake on the bedside table.

“It’s strange that you don’t know because everyone who travelled the Grand Line at the time, like Garp and I, knew that Roger had a son. Not you. Going by what you’ve told me, you were born almost two years after Roger’s death. Your brother must have been around seven at the time, if I’m not wrong.”

It was as if the world stopped for a moment, his breath hitching at the word.

Brother.

If Shirohige’s words were right, he had a brother. An older brother, to be more exact. It meant there was another person out there in the world who shared his same cursed existence.

He wanted to scoff at the idea, brush it off as if he didn’t care. He probably would’ve done so if not for Luffy. His little brother had taught him how wonderful having a brother could be. Luffy… Luffy had wanted him. And that had made all the pain, even the one at losing their brother Sabo, worth every minute.

“Why did jiji never tell me?” muttered Ace, his breath short as his mind run in circles around the unbelievable thought that he had another brother.

“He’s dead, Ace.”

Shirohige’s words were not without their own kindness, yet Ace still felt as though he’d been brought back to reality by a slap.

“What happened to him?” he asked.

“It was after Roger’s execution: the Government started a manhunt for him, but they couldn’t find Kairyuu. Until one day, suddenly, they stopped looking for him. You must have been barely a few months then; most people didn’t notice because it was at the time of Ohara’s incident, but any pirate worth their flag did. We all knew what it meant.”

Ace swallowed. He didn’t need the actual words to be spoken to understand. Dadan had already explained what the government would do to him if his heritage was ever discovered. She’d been very clear on that point, stressing out the importance of keeping it secret.

“When you told me that Garp hid you, I thought perhaps he’d done the same with Kairyuu. But he didn’t tell you anything about him and, no matter how high up he is, it wouldn’t have been enough to call off the search.”

“I don’t… understand why he didn’t tell me.”

“That’s something only he can answer.” Replied Shirohige, eyeing him critically. “Now go get some rest.”

“But-”

“Ace.” Cut him off the pirate captain. “If you have more questions, I’ll answer them, but not now. You need to rest and think for a while.”

The young man frowned, but he had spent long enough with this crew to know that whenever the captain took on that tone of voice there was no sense in arguing. You’d only manage to look like a petulant child and still wouldn’t get your way.

Also, even if he wouldn’t say it out loud, Oyaji was right. When he’d come in, he’d been sure he was going to be kicked out of the crew, but not only didn’t that happen, he’d learnt something that he was beginning to think Garp had purposefully kept from him. Shirohige had given him a lot to think about.

So Ace bid his captain goodnight and left the room.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

Sengoku stood unperturbed as the Five Elders argued amongst themselves. Or at least, gave the appearance of being unperturbed.

“…he is not a child anymore. I say we use him as bait to lure his brother out and execute them both.”

“For that to work, we’d have to acknowledge that he is alive.”

“Impossible! The public thinks him dead, to admit otherwise would be madness! The public outcry alone…”

“People would panic.”

“I still think we should’ve executed him as soon as he was captured.”

“Executing a child would’ve given a poor image of the World Government, no matter its identity.”

“But as I said, the brat’s not a child anymore. Let’s be done with this!”

“And I’m telling you we cannot allow the public to know of him.”

“Then execute him privately. We’ll have his brother for a public event.”

“Executing him now would serve no purpose. We kept him alive in case he could be of use, we made sure nobody knew of his existence, there has been no trouble during the time he has been imprisoned. And we don’t _have_ his brother.”

“What then?”

Sengoku cleared his throat, very much uncomfortable at the direction the meeting was taking, but knowing better than to show it. The Celestial Dragons turned to him, some displaying a bit of respect, some just outright frowning.

“If I may… Prisoner 686 poses no more danger now than he did the past two decades. I agree that there would be mass panic if his identity were to be revealed to the public, but there is no danger of that as long as things stay as they have until now-”

“What are you saying?” asked one of the elders, impatient.

“Merely that there is no need to act in regards to Prisoner 686, someone who for all intents and purposed doesn’t exist. Any change in the way he is handled, be it to execute him or not, will always pose the danger of his identity and status slipping out to the world and that would be disastrous.”

The Gorosei exchanged a look, but after a few heavy grumbles and half-hearted protest, it was agreed that they would let him handle the matter in the same way it had been since the very day they ordered him to escort the child to Impel Down.

“That still leaves the issue of Portgas D. Ace to be resolved.”

Sengoku grimaced at that, knowing he couldn’t pull off informing them any longer, and one of them noticed it.

“Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?”

“In regards to that… Shirohige has taken Portgas D. Ace into his crew.”

“…”

“…Why are we only now hearing this?”

“We just received confirmation of it.” Answered Sengoku without missing a beat, despite the expression on the faces of the Gorosei.

It’s not like he was any happier about it than them. The fact that the possible ―and from their new information, more than likely― son of the late Pirate King Gold Roger was now under the protection of Yonko Shirohige was a big problem. It was going to mean a lot of headaches and sleepless night for him.

So no, he wasn’t any happier than them about it.

But they couldn’t do anything at the moment without upsetting the delicate balance of the world and they didn’t have an ace ―no pun intended― under their metaphorical sleeve.

“Does Shirohige know of the boy’s heritage?”

“It’s a possibility; he could’ve noticed the same things we have. Or it could merely be a coincidence. In any case, we have no way of knowing the answer to that question.” Relayed the marine.

“We must keep things this way for now, then. If his heritage is made public before we are ready, it would be disastrous.” Said an elder.

“We’ll have to monitor the situation closely. And we need to confirm whether the boy is really Roger’s.” said another staring pointedly at the Fleet Admiral.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“Quit being so stubborn. It’s not helping anyone, least of all you.”

The marine and the twenty-seven year old stared at each other, both stubbornly refusing to give into the other.

Sengoku had known even before he arrived that the topic would bring an argument, no matter the approach he took. What he hadn’t expected was for the man to outright refuse to speak to him when he broached the subject.

There were no more grounds onto which the accusation could be denied and so he just refused to give into the only other option left and confess.

“We are sure of it, we know it’s the truth. And so must Shirohige: he snapped him up for his own too fast for that not to be the reason.” He explained impatiently for what felt like the hundredth time. “You’ve kept the truth about Portgas D. Ace’s heritage ―his existence, even! ―a secret until now. There is no sense in denying it further.”

But he still got nothing. No answer, verbal or not, no guilty body language, not even a twitch! He was being completely ignored.

Sengoku let out a tired sigh, rubbing his face.

“If you insist on being uncooperative, I cannot protect you.”

That finally got a reaction, even though it wasn’t the one he expected.

“I never asked you to.”

The man clenched his jaw, not knowing what to say. How to explain himself. This was all a complicated mess that he didn’t know how to put into words.

So he tried the only other venue he had left, the one theory ―unlikely as it seemed in his mind, because he knew this boy, had watched him grow, even as twisted as the circumstances had been― that he could work with.

“Did you not know? Were you unaware that your father had another son? That Portgas D. Ace was your brother?”

Again, there was no answer of any kind. No matter how he worded the question: even this he refused to confirm.

Finally giving up, his allotted time for the official visit being over, he shook his head and looked at the man inside the cell one last time, his disappointment and pain obvious, and turned to leave.

“Sengoku.” He stopped in his tracks at the whisper of his name and half-turned so he could look at the speaker.

His face was shadowed by his long messy black hair, his hands grabbing tightly onto the edge of the cot and every muscle in his body tense.

“You really believe that this… Portgas D. Ace is my brother, don’t you?” he nodded slightly, taking in the tension obvious even in his voice. “Then you must know that, _if he were_ really my brother, and something happened to him… there would be consequences.”

Sengoku caught a glimpse of green eyes peaking at him from behind a curtain of black and he knew the man wasn’t joking. As he’d said, he knew him. And the tone of his voice suggested this… warning, wasn’t to be taken lightly.

For what was perhaps the first time since he started visiting, he really saw a man instead of a child in that cell.

HPOPHPOPHPOP

“So this is where you were hiding, yoi.”

“I’m not hiding.” Growled Ace directing a glare at Marco.

The Commander of the First Division smiled, folding his hands behind his head as he leant on the ship’s railing next to the younger pirate.

“If you say so…”

Silence fell over them and, slowly, Ace relaxed and went back to staring up at the stars. It was something he had taken to doing after Sabo’s death, when he was feeling particularly bothered, usually because of his little brother’s latest stunt. This time, though, it was another brother who kept him from joining his nakamas in partying, a brother that he hadn’t known he had.

“Oi. Marco.”

“Hn?”

The blond turned sideways, seeing Ace watching him from the corner of his eye. He didn’t press him to speak, already used from long ago to waiting for his brothers to approach him with their troubles in their own time.

“You’ve been with Oyaji for a long time, haven’t you?”

“Almost since the very beginning, yoi.” Nodded Marco, curious of where he was going with this conversation.

“And did you know Gold Roger had a son?”

Alright, this certainly wasn’t anywhere near what Marco had been expecting.

“Gold Roger. A son?” he repeated slowly. “You speak of Kairyuu.”

Ace’s eyes sharpened at the name and he nodded.

“Kairyuu. I remember him.” Hummed Marco, his eyes gazing up at the night sky but his mind further away. “Oyaji had us all keep an eye out after the Pirate King’s execution, just in case we actually came across him before the marines.”

“You met him, then?”

“A couple times, when Oyaji and Roger met for one of their drinking contests.”

“What was he like?”

“Ano… from what I remember he was quiet and polite… curious too…” Marco rubbed the back of his head, appearing uncomfortably. “He was a good kid, I think. I’m not the best to ask about this, Ace. Truth is, I had little contact with him directly: Roger and his crew were very protective. Oyaji knew him a little more.” Shrugged the blond Devil Fruit user.

“Why would Roger allow Oyaji near if he was so protective? Weren’t they enemies?” he asked, trying not to show too much disappointment.

“Yes, of course, but Roger knew Oyaji had enough honour not to use his family against him. I think it’s actually one of the reasons why Oyaji respected Roger so much, that he managed to be both a father and a captain at the same time. Oyaji knows better than most how hard that is to do.” Marco frowned a little, staring at his fellow Commander. “Why the sudden interest, though? Kairyuu has been dead since before you were born, yoi.”

“A little afterwards, actually, and no particular reason.” Shrugged Ace trying to appear indifferent as he looked back up at the sky. “Just curious since nobody knew he’d existed back in East Blue.”

“Right, the Blues aren’t the most reliable for that kind of information.” Acknowledged Marco. “They don’t even know about Devil Fruits, though that’s mostly the Government’s fault, I guess.” The pirate straightened, pushing away from the railing, and sighed. “If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask Oyaji. Unless you manage to come across one of the important figures from back then, but that’s doubtful, yoi.”

With that, the blond Devil Fruit user left the new Commander of the Second Division alone with his thoughts, seeing Thatch gesturing at him from a nearby window.

Ace clenched his hands on the railing as he wondered once more why Garp had never spoken of this to him.

Next is a fragment that I cut off from Chapter 1 because I felt deviated a bit too much of the mood I wanted to set and also didn’t truly add in anything, but I didn’t feel happy leaving it out completely so I’m posting it here as an omake or just some extra scene for you.

It takes place during Chapter 1, right after Kairyuu asks Garp where he’s truly taking him and Akainu shows up to ruin everything.

Omake: Garp’s intentions before Akainu shows up

“Where are you really taking me, Garp-jiji?”

The man’s grip on the teacup tightened to the point that it snapped, the remaining liquid staining his fingers.

He should have expected the question, really. No matter how young, Kairyuu had already proved himself to be intelligent.

Intelligent and kind and overall too good for the cards he had been dealt in life, if you asked him. Garp had lost count of how many times he had cursed the boy’s father in his mind. It was Roger’s actions that now condemned him in the eyes of the world.

If only he could somehow find Rayleigh…

“I’m taking you to your godfather.”

“Rayleigh?” exclaimed the boy, surprised at his answer.

“There’s only rumours of him, a few whispers here and there if you know how to listen. He seems to be keeping his head down somewhere in the Grand Line-”

“That wasn’t our deal.” Protested Kairyuu.

“Brat-”

“No!”

It wasn’t that Kairyuu didn’t want to go. He missed Rayleigh a lot; it had been too long since he had last seen him, when the crew all went their own ways, and getting separated after having known him all his short life had been hard. However, Rayleigh was also wanted by the World Government and taking Kairyuu in would only put him at more risk. He didn’t want to be the reason his godfather got caught.

“No, we had a deal. You have to keep your part. You have to turn me in!”

“Tough luck, brat. I’m dropping you off with your godfather and that’s it. Whatever you two decide to do afterwards is your problem.”

That was probably the point of all this, but he knew for sure that Rayleigh would not let him go along with his plan.

“But they won’t stop looking then!”

“They won’t find him; there will be nothing to connect you with him-”

“Oh, but a baby popping out of the blue and being your charge won’t be suspicious?”

“I’ll deal with it.”

“Fine, then, I’ll start shouting.”

Two minutes later, Garp sat with a new teacup and drank calmly as the child glared daggers at him from where he laid tied up and gagged. He wouldn’t keep him like that too long, of course, just until he got some sense back.

Which taking into account who his family were… well, it might take a while.

Now he just needed to find the infamous ‘Dark King’. Easy, right?


End file.
